Scottish Executive

Adult Literacy

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve adult numeracy and literacy standards.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I am providing £22.5 million over three years to raise levels of adult literacy and numeracy in Scotland, and expect 80,000 people to benefit during this period. The initiative will be supported by the new agency, Communities Scotland.

Autism

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) procedures are in place for identifying and dealing with, and (b) facilities are available for dealing with and working with any prisoners who have autistic spectrum disorder.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS operates a system of induction and sentence management for prisoners. This, together with the health checks carried out on admission, aims to identify prisoners with serious problems as a result of, for example, autism. Education staff working in prisons draw up individual learning plans for and with prisoners. A diagnosis of autism would result in particular care being taken to engage the learner appropriately.

Bathing Waters

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19409 by Rhona Brankin on 9 November 2001, why the answer did not specify what representations had been made to the European Union.

Allan Wilson: Although relations with the European Union are a reserved matter, the Scottish Executive is in regular and frequent contact with its institutions about matters concerning the implementation of devolved responsibilities. Contact on the Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC) is particularly frequent in view of on-going discussions on its proposed revision. It would not be possible to detail all these contacts.

Bathing Waters

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19408 by Rhona Brankin on 9 November 2001, why there are no plans to publish the results of the research undertaken during the 2000 bathing season by the Scottish Environmental Agency in respect of the proposed revision of the Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC).

Allan Wilson: As the answer to question S1W-19408 on 9 November 2001, stated, the research described was undertaken for the European Commission. It is for that body to decide on publication. A copy of the report has, however, been obtained from the Commission and is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 17704).

Bathing Waters

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19409 by Rhona Brankin on 9 November 2001, when it last made contact with the European Union in respect of the Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC).

Allan Wilson: As I said in reply to question S1W-20055, contact with the institutions of the European Union on the Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC) is particularly frequent. These contacts are by letter, telephone, fax and e-mail as well as in face-to-face meetings. The last meeting of a Scottish Executive official with officials of the European Commission on the directive was on 12 November. On this occasion the Scottish Executive official was attending a workshop hosted by the European Commission’s Directorate General for the Environment, to consider the economic cost-benefit appraisal of possible measures in the proposed revision of the directive. The workshop brought together a number of consultants and technical experts from the UK and from France and the Netherlands.

Better Neighbourhood Service Fund

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcomes were of the review of the proposals from local authorities to the Better Neighbourhood Service Fund, announced in January 2001, and what allocations are being made to local authorities this year.

Iain Gray: The Minister for Finance and Public Services and I have reviewed the Local Outcome Agreements (LOAs) submitted by the 12 local authorities selected to benefit from the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund (BNSF).

  Uppermost in our minds was the Executive’s commitment to improving the delivery of public services to the people of Scotland. We were also guided by the principles underpinning the BNSF: the need for local authorities to deliver clear and demonstrable outcomes for people in deprived neighbourhoods or deprived social groups and the need to involve these people in defining and monitoring these outcomes.

  The following LOAs have been approved and first year funding confirmed:

  





£ million 
  



Glasgow 
  

6 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

2 
  



Dundee 
  

2 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

1.5 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

1.5 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

1 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

1 
  



  Glasgow City Council’s LOA covered plans for use of the BNSF for the first year of the fund only. A further LOA covering the second and third years is required to be submitted and approved by 1 July 2002.

  Two local authorities submitted LOAs which fell short of fully meeting the requirements of the fund - Inverclyde and Dumfries and Galloway – but, after consideration, we agreed to provide first year funding (£2 million and £0.6 million respectively), on condition that revised LOAs were approved by 1 April 2002.

  We were unable to confirm the allocations for North Ayrshire (£1.5 million), Argyll and Bute (£0.6 million), and Eilean Siar (£0.3 million), because the LOAs they submitted do not yet meet the requirements of the fund. However, the door remains open to these authorities; we will be prepared to provide funding from next year, if satisfactory LOAs are produced and approved by 1 July 2002.

  Confirmation of funding to all 12 local authorities for the further two years of the fund will be dependent on satisfactory progress being made against the outcome targets for each pathfinder.

Birds

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many licence applications to kill or remove eider ducks in order to protect mussel farms have been (a) received from and (b) granted to (i) the Shetland Islands, (ii) the Orkney Islands, (iii) Argyll and Bute, (iv) the Western Isles and (v) the Highland Council area in each year from 1998 to date.

Allan Wilson: No applications have been received from the Orkney Islands, the Western Isles or the Highland Council Area since 1998.

  One license has been applied for and issued to the Shetland Islands in 2001-02.

  In Argyll and Bute, the following figures apply:

  


1997-98 
  

2 applications 
  

2 licences issued 
  



1998-99 
  

5 applications 
  

4 licences issued 
  



1999-2000 
  

2 applications 
  

2 licences issued 
  



2000-01 
  

2 application 
  

2 licence issued

Birds

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted any site visits or local consultations in regard to licences to kill or remove eider ducks in (a) the Shetland Islands, (b) the Orkney Islands, (c) Argyll and Bute, (d) the Western Isles and (e) the Highland Council area during 2001 or whether any such visits or consultations are planned in the next six months.

Allan Wilson: One site visit has been carried out in 2001. Such visits are always made on the first occasion an area is the subject of an application.

Birds

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures for site inspection and local consultation are used in the determination of whether to issue licences to kill or remove eider ducks for the protection of mussel farms.

Allan Wilson: Site inspections are carried out on every occasion when the application is the first in respect of an area. They are undertaken by a representative of the Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory and the local Scottish Natural Heritage officer.

Birds

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what tests it applies in relation to licence applications to kill or remove eider ducks to protect mussel farms and what scientific advice it has received as to determining the level of damage which could be caused to such farms.

Allan Wilson: An assessment is made of the site development, including standing stock, production levels, staff presence on site and site situation. Records of predation, and evidence of non-lethal measures and anti-predator devices used are considered. Applicants are required to maintain records of temporal and spacial distribution of predator species and to produce these for inspection.

Birds

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, when considering licence applications to kill or remove eider ducks in order to protect mussel farms, what assessment it gives to alternative measures to protect mussel farms and how it determines whether these alternatives are successful.

Allan Wilson: Non-lethal deterrents must have been employed before a licence is granted. Historical evidence, or that seen during a site inspection, is considered. Advice on non-lethal methods is provided to applicants and may be followed up if subsequent applications are received.

Birds

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimate is of the eider duck population; how many and what proportion of these are found in (a) the Shetland Islands, (b) the Orkney Islands, (c) Argyll and Bute, (d) the Western Isles and (e) the Highland Council area, and what the local population changes in each of these areas have been over the past 25 years.

Allan Wilson: The most recently published estimate of the eider duck population - 77,500 wintering in Great Britain, including 66,000 in Scottish inshore coastal waters – is for the period 1986-92. The totals and proportions for Shetland, Orkney, the Western Isles, Moray Firth and the west coast of Scotland are set out in the table. Data for the administrative regions of Highland Council and Argyll and Bute are not available.

  


Area 
  

Population 
  

Proportion 
  

Trend 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

7,000 
  

10.6% 
  

Declining 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

6,000 
  

9.1% 
  

Not known 
  



Western Isles 
  

6,000 
  

9.1% 
  

Not known 
  



Moray Firth (only part of Highland Council area) 
  

2,500 
  

3.8% 
  

Not known 
  



West coast of Scotland (includes Argyll & Bute) 
  

9,000 
  

13.6% 
  

Probably increasing 
  



  The population in the UK is resident, although winter numbers may be enhanced by variable numbers of birds originating from the large north-west European population.

  Limited evidence suggests an increase in the population up to at least the late 1980s, apart from in Shetland, where marked declines in the population have occurred (from a maximum of 16,500 in 1977 to an estimated 5,700 in 2001).

Birds

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what species of eider duck are found in (a) the Shetland Islands, (b) the Orkney Islands, (c) Argyll and Bute, (d) the Western Isles and (e) the Highland Council area.

Allan Wilson: The species of eider found in all parts of the UK is the common eider ( Somateria mollissima ).

Bridges

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what further assistance it plans to make available to Angus Council to help it meet the costs of the replacement bridge over the South Esk at Montrose.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive announced on 23 November that Angus Council would receive £2.8 million, included in its capital allocations, to enable work to start on the Montrose Bridge replacement project. We will continue to work with Angus Council on this matter.

Cancer

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the merger of the two leading cancer charities, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Cancer Research Campaign, will have on cancer care.

Malcolm Chisholm: No immediate effect on cancer care is anticipated. However, the Scottish Executive welcomes the potential opportunities offered for the future from the amalgamation of these two highly respected and well recognised organisations and hopes that the new merged charity will continue to support the work of the National Cancer Research Institute.

Central Heating

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place for people to apply for free central heating and insulation under its Central Heating Programme.

Iain Gray: A guide to the Central Heating Programme encouraging applications has been published for the private sector and widely distributed across Scotland. Eaga has also set up a freephone number for applications and enquiries. Further publicity material will be issued shortly. Local authority and housing association tenants will be contacted by their landlords, who are responsible for implementing the programme in these sectors of the stock.

Childcare

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered what minimum national qualification should be required for nursery nurses.

Cathy Jamieson: Nursery nurses are included in the childcare workforce that will be regulated by the new Scottish Social Services Council. No decision has yet been reached regarding national qualifications for this workforce.

Deaf People

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce registers for people who are deaf and for people who are suffering from temporary deafness.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to introduce registers but I would refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20236 on17 December 2001, which outlines the scope of the wide-ranging review of audiology services currently under way.

Deaf People

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on whether dentists can refuse to treat a patient on the basis that the patient is deaf.

Malcolm Chisholm: We are committed to an NHS offering access to all. Whilst general dental practitioners are independent contractors and can choose whether to treat individual patients, it is regrettable if they refuse to treat a patient on such a basis.

Domestic Abuse

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in combating domestic abuse.

Ms Margaret Curran: A National Group to Address Domestic Abuse was established in April and continues to take forward the implementation of the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland. Three issue-based working groups have been set up: to review legislation relating to domestic abuse; to review recommendations on refuge provision, and to develop a prevention strategy.

  Significant resources have been committed to this implementation including a total of £12 million for a Refuge Development Programme and £6 million over four years for the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund.

  On 6 December we launched a new phase of our awareness raising campaign. Targeted at 16 to 25-year-olds, its aim is to reach new audiences through the use of different media, such as beermats, outdoor posters, convenience advertising and a website.

Enterprise

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of staff working on Opportunities and Choices in order to increase the level of work carried out by that project.

Ms Wendy Alexander: As of October 2000 the Scottish Executive has been fully staffed for the work on Opportunities and Choices. The project involves other agencies, notably Scottish Enterprise who have recently allocated additional resources to increase the level of work involved.

Ferry Services

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that the port of Rosyth will not become a gateway for illegal drugs imports following the introduction of the proposed ferry service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge.

Mr Jim Wallace: Fife Constabulary, in discussion with other enforcement agencies, is taking steps to ensure that, following the introduction of the proposed ferry service, a commensurate level of policing would be in place at the port to counter the assessed threat posed by criminal and other interests.

Freight

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many lorry miles have been removed so far per year as a consequence of projects approved under the Freight Facility Grant scheme and whether it will provide details of each of these projects and rank them in order of pound/pence per mile/kilometre of support received under the scheme.

Lewis Macdonald: Projects awarded grant under the Freight Facilities Grant scheme will remove a total of 13.4 million lorry miles from Scotland's roads each year. Details of each of these projects in order of grant cost per lorry mile removed is shown in the table.

  


Company 
  

Total Amount of FFG Awarded
(£) 
  

Lorry Miles Removed from Scotland's Roads 
  Each Year 
  

Date of Award 
  



WH Malcolm1


 246,000 
  

 872,000 
  

December 2000 
  



Iggesund Paperboard 
  

 693,000 
  

 479,000 
  

December 2000 
  



JG Russell Transport Ltd 
  

 3,045,000 
  

 2,040,000 
  

August 1997 
  



Forth Ports plc 
  

 81,000 
  

 87,000 
  

March 2000 
  



HJ Banks & Co Ltd 
  

 873,000 
  

 1,080,000 
  

July 1999 
  



BP Oil UK Ltd 
  

 10,044,000 
  

 3,675,000 
  

December 2000 
  



LAW Mining Ltd 
  

 2,548,000 
  

 1,673,000 
  

September 1999 
  



ST Services Ltd 
  

 874,000 
  

 400,000 
  

March 2000 
  



Safeway Stores plc 
  

 680,000 
  

 480,000 
  

November 1998 
  



TDG Nexus2


 3,233,000 
  

 667,000 
  

September 1999 
  



Safeway Stores plc 
  

 897,000 
  

 567,000 
  

March 2000 
  



Associated British Ports 
  

 4,410,000 
  

 1,400,000 
  

February 2000 
  



Total 
  

 27,624,000 
  

 13,420,000 
  
 



  Notes:

  1. Excludes a contribution of £0.632 million from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions for benefits secured in England.

  2. Excludes a contribution of £6.467 million from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions for benefits secured in England.

Fuel Poverty

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assess the impact on its policy on fuel poverty resulting from the proposal by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets to remove price controls from the electricity market.

Iain Gray: The effect on the number of fuel poor households will be monitored. I understand that the recent announcement by Ofgem is intended to introduce greater competition in the provision of domestic electricity in Scotland. As such it is welcomed. Our policy of taking households out of fuel poverty, as far as reasonable and practicable, remains unchanged.

Health

Kate MacLean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a programme of eyesight screening for all schoolchildren when they start their primary and secondary education.

Malcolm Chisholm: Programmes of screening school age children for eye problems are jointly determined by local NHS Boards and local authorities. NHS sight tests are available free to people under 16 or under 19 in full-time education .  The UK National Screening Committee indicates that there is little evidence to support a universal vision screening programme for school age children and the Executive has no plans to introduce one.

Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently being prescribed anti-depressants.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available.

Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it plans to allocate funds for occupational health and safety services to health boards.

Malcolm Chisholm: Funds for occupational health are allocated to NHS health boards on the basis of the Arbuthnott formula.

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many student radiographers completed their course at Glasgow Caledonian University in each academic year from 1996-97 to 2001-02.

Malcolm Chisholm: Data on radiography student places is not held centrally. However, Glasgow Caledonian University has supplied the following figures (which include diagnostic and therapeutic radiography).

  


Academic year 
  

No of FTE students successfully completing 
  radiography course 
  



1996-97 
  

27 
  



1997-98 
  

32 
  



1998-99 
  

44 
  



1999-2000 
  

41 
  



2000-01 
  

43

Higher Education

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that additional monies made available for human resources development within universities are used to enhance the job security of contract research staff.

Ms Wendy Alexander: It is for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) to decide how these resources will be most effectively used. The recent guidance letter in which this additional funding was announced also specifically highlighted the need for SHEFC to continue to build on its work in promoting good practice in relation to contract research staff, including the collection of annual statistics on this group.

  In considering how it will use these resources, I am sure the council will bear the guidance provided to it in mind.

Housing

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that there is an adequate supply of affordable housing in rural areas.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing in rural areas and in the three years since 1999 will have invested £136 million in rural housing through Scottish Homes, now Communities Scotland. This investment has allowed over 4,100 new homes to be started in rural communities across Scotland.

Individual Learning Accounts

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the First Minister what action is being taken to validate existing learning provider claims for Individual Learning Accounts payments to enable these providers to meet their wage bills prior to the end of 2001.

Mr Jack McConnell: All current claims are being validated to safeguard public funds. Almost 300 learning providers will be paid before the end of this month. The remainder will be paid as soon as possible thereafter.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is in respect of the Individual Learning Account scheme

Ms Wendy Alexander: Following the announcement by the Department for Employment and Skills (DfES) on 23 November to suspend the Individual Learning Account (ILA) scheme in England, the Executive undertook a further review of the scheme in Scotland. Since then, extra validation checks have been implemented by Scottish Enterprise for all current claims, as a precautionary measure to protect public funds.

  Both the review and the validation exercise have highlighted a number of actions which need to be taken urgently to address some of the deficiencies in the system. I have therefore decided to close the Individual Learning Account scheme with immediate effect. Consideration is being given to what future arrangements might be put in place to support individual learning.

  I will be writing to all MSPs with more information shortly, and every ILA holder and Learning Provider will also be written to individually.

Industry

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has given to the consultation exercise by the Department of Trade and Industry on the European Commission’s proposal for a new Council regulation on state aid to the coal industry.

Lewis Macdonald: This is a reserved matter entirely within the remit of the Department of Trade and Industry. The Scottish Executive is not a statutory consultee although we have been kept fully informed of the Commission’s proposals by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Justice

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what legislative or administrative changes are planned to enable local authorities and police forces to retain money raised from speed and traffic camera enforcement and when any such changes will be introduced.

Lewis Macdonald: We are examining what legislative or administrative changes might be required to enable local authorities and police forces to retain money from fixed penalty notices to improve road safety.

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the timetable for the operation and evaluation of time out centres being piloted in Glasgow as alternatives to prison for women offenders is on target and when it will publish any evaluation report.

Dr Richard Simpson: Work is under way on drawing up a specification for the centre and the tendering process is expected to take about six months. The timetable thereafter will be largely determined by the identification of suitable premises. The centre will be evaluated but it is too early to say when the report might be published.

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many residential places are currently available and how many are planned for the future at the time out centres being piloted in Glasgow as alternatives to prison for women offenders.

Dr Richard Simpson: When it begins operation, the Time Out centre in Glasgow is expected to have six to 12 residential places. The development of further centres will depend upon the success of the Glasgow pilot.

Land Reform

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how its proposals for land reform will benefit rural communities.

Ross Finnie: The access provisions of the Bill will not only provide the public with greater confidence to visit the Scottish countryside, but result in more opportunity for them to do so by the creation of new paths. There is growing interest in outdoor recreation on the part of both Scots themselves and visitors from elsewhere. The legislation will help encourage greater participation in outdoor pursuits, creating opportunities for rural communities and bringing benefits to rural economies.

  The community right to buy will benefit rural communities by providing greater opportunities for them to determine their own future. It will enable them to register an interest in, and subsequently purchase, land with which they can demonstrate a connection. This will provide rural communities with a right to buy when the land which is subject to the registered interest comes to be sold. If the community decides to proceed, it will have six months to raise the necessary funding to make ownership of the land a reality. This will give rural communities much more time to organise funding than at present, where they may have only a few weeks to do so.

  The crofting community right to buy will enable crofting communities to acquire the land on which they live and work, and by doing so give them control over the land and the ability to develop their communities. More than that, it decisively changes the balance of power between the community and the landowner, and will ensure that landowners pay proper regard to the needs of these communities.

Lifelong Learning

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring learndirect scotland undertakes of the number of people with disabilities who use its services.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Learndirect scotland monitors the number of people with disabilities who have declared this when they have contacted the freephone helpline. To date this totals approximately 800 callers (0.46% of all callers) in 2001.

Ministerial Correspondence

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Justice will reply to my letter of 29 September 2001 regarding the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review.

Mr Jim Wallace: A reply was sent by the Scottish Prison Service on 2 November 2001.

NHS Waiting Lists

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are currently on waiting lists for heart by-pass surgery.

Malcolm Chisholm: On 30 September 2001, the number of patients waiting for Adult Cardiac Surgery, which includes patients waiting for heart bypass operations, was 620.

Nursing

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its recent Action Plan on nurse recruitment and retention includes specific measures to retain nurse specialists.

Malcolm Chisholm: While there are no specific measures in the Action Plan, this is an area that will be explored within the Facing the Future implementation group which I am chairing. The group will meet for the first time in the New Year.

Police

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the uniformed police (a) establishment and (b) strength was in each division of each police force in each of the years 1991 to 2001 and what the population of each division area was in each year, giving details of any boundary changes.

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the uniformed police (a) establishment and (b) average attendance is per shift in each division of each police force.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information on police officer numbers at this level of detail is not held centrally.

Post Office

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a progress report on the investigation by public agencies of using existing rural outlets or networks such as Post Offices as a means of providing local information and advice services as recommended in R1.8 of the report by the Scottish National Rural Partnership, Services in Rural Scotland .

Allan Wilson: The Executive is committed to improving access to all government services, including those provided by public agencies. Public agencies are encouraged to take a broad view of the way in which they provide advice and services to best meet the needs of their customers. This includes using rural outlets and networks such as post offices, public libraries and information centres where they consider this to be appropriate.

  The Scottish National Rural Partnership (SNRP) has been tasked with taking forward the monitoring of the implementation of the recommendations in Services in Rural Scotland. The SNRP will be reporting progress to ministers next summer.

Prison Service

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in relation to the number of prisoners held at HM Prison Corntonvale.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  Skye House has recently been reopened which has increased the available capacity. In addition, work is under way to consider better use of the current available accommodation as well as to look at options for providing additional accommodation. The SPS will take decisions in the light of operational requirements.

Prison Service

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurse vacancies there currently are at the HM Prison Corntonvale medical centre.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  None.

Prison Service

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many remand prisoners were held in HM Prison Corntonvale in each of the past three months.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The average number of remand prisoners per month was:

  


September 
  

35 
  



October 
  

40 
  



November 
  

35

Prison Service

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many remand prisoners are currently being held in excess of the number of places at the new remand centre at HM Prison Corntonvale.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The average number of remand prisoners in November was 35. The capacity of the newly opened Ross House is 51.

Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any amendments which it may bring forward for Stage 3 of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill will deal solely with technical matters and, if not, what the scope of any amendments will be.

Allan Wilson: The Executive remain neutral in relation to the policy of this Bill except where it cuts across Executive policy, has a financial implication for the Executive or is deemed to be unworkable in law. On consideration of the Bill, as amended at Stage 2, I can confirm that any amendments that the Executive consider are required at Stage 3 will be technical in nature.

Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that any amendments it intends to bring forward to the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill for Stage 3 will be lodged as soon as possible to allow all interested parties and groups time to consider them, to consult with their MSPs and to contribute to any consideration of issues relating to such amendments at Stage 3.

Allan Wilson: Yes. We are considering the Bill as amended at Stage 2 and confirm that we will bring forward any Executive amendments as soon as we can.

Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement a policy based on the conclusions reached in paragraphs 78 and 88 of the Stage 1 Report by the Rural Development Committee on the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill.

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will introduce to put into effect the conclusions reached in paragraphs 78 and 88 of the Stage 1 Report by the Rural Development Committee on the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill.

Allan Wilson: The conclusions reached by the Rural Development Committee recorded in these paragraphs in the Stage 1 Report relate to the use of terriers underground and the activities of the Scottish Hill Packs. The Executive neither propose to implement a policy nor introduce measures to give effect to those conclusions. The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill has undergone amendment at Stage 2 to cater for pest control exceptions, reflecting the views of the committee. That legislation, as determined at Stage 3 and ultimately interpreted by the courts, will determine what use of dogs is permitted and what constitutes an offence.

Public Transport

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to improve the level of public transport services in rural communities.

Lewis Macdonald: Through our Rural Transport Fund we have supported over 400 improved local services, 100 Rural Community Transport projects and 33 rural petrol stations.

  We also support air and ferry services through record levels of investment in the Highlands and Islands.

Public Transport

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that bus companies provide routes and timetables that reflect the expectations of existing and potential passengers.

Lewis Macdonald: Local transport authorities are required to secure the provision of public passenger transport services which are not provided on a commercial basis.

  The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 provides for statutory consultation procedures with local bus users when Quality Partnerships, Quality Contracts, ticketing schemes and the provision of information are being developed by local transport authorities.

Rape

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to review legislation and procedures with a view to improving the conviction rate for rape.

Mr Jim Wallace: We are currently legislating through the Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Bill to provide greater protection for victims of rape and sexual assault when they give evidence in court. We also keep the criminal law under review. The Lord Advocate has made a reference to the High Court seeking clarification of the law on rape, following the ruling in the Lord Abernethy rape case. We need to await the outcome of this reference before we are in a position to consider whether changes may be required in this area.

Roads

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the monitoring by the Performance Audit Group of BEAR (Scotland) Ltd’s trunk road maintenance contract has found any shortcomings in their winter road maintenance performance on the Highland trunk road network during the last six weeks.

Lewis Macdonald: The monitoring carried out to date has not found evidence that BEAR Scotland Ltd has failed to meet its contractual obligations with regard to winter maintenance in the Highlands.

Roads

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates, for each contract area, it received the relevant information required under Schedule 3, Part 4, paragraphs 5 and 6 of the Term Contract for Management and Maintenance of the Trunk Road Network .

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether sections 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3 and 3.1.4, Planning and Reporting Requirements, of Schedule 7, Part 2 of the Term Contract for Management and Maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network were complied with in full by Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd for each contract area, and, if not, which particular aspects of the contract were not complied with, broken down by contract area.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific mechanisms have been put in place to ensure "cross boundary co-operation", as specified in section 11.4 on snow clearance of carriageways and hardshoulders of Schedule 7, Part 2 of the Term Contract for Management and Maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network , by Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd in respect of each contract area.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the computer systems referred to in Section 4.2 (i), (ii) and (iii) of Schedule 7, Part 2 of the Term Contract for Management and Maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network (a) are compatible with each computer system operated by Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd across each contract area; (b) are compatible with the Executive’s computer system, and (c) received written consent from the Director on the appropriate date, and what the reasons are for the position in each case, all broken down by contract area.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contact Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd have had with Railtrack Plc as required by Section 11.11 of Schedule 7, Part 2 of the Term Contract for Management and Maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network since 1 April 2001; what date each contact was made, and what reason was given for each contact, all broken down by contract area.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Section 13 of Schedule 7, Part 2 of the Term Contract for Management and Maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network was complied with in full by Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd for each contract area; which date each contract area complied with Section 13, and whether any particular aspects remain outstanding, broken down by contract area.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20202 on 19 December 2001.

Roads

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost is of performance audit services provided by Halcrow Group Ltd in respect of BEAR Scotland Ltd’s management and maintenance of trunk roads.

Lewis Macdonald: The estimated outturn cost of the Performance Audit Group (PAG), consisting of the Halcrow Group Ltd in association with PricewaterhouseCoopers, for 2001-02 is £1.8 million.

  It is not possible to break this down between individual contractors or contracts because PAG is a dedicated unit operating across the whole of the trunk road network.

Rural Development

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount spent on the (a) Organic Aid, (b) Rural Stewardship and (c) Farm Woodlands Premium schemes was in each year since the introduction of modulation.

Ross Finnie: The total amount of expenditure up to 31 October 2001 on these schemes since modulation came into operation on 1 January 2001 is as follows:

  


Organic Aid Scheme 
  

£2,528,783 
  



Rural Stewardship Scheme 
  

£ nil 
  



Farm Woodland Premium Scheme 
  

£467,889

Rural Stewardship Scheme

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to join the Rural Stewardship Scheme this year will be approved.

Ross Finnie: : I am pleased to announce today that I am able to approve the management actions and associated capital works proposed in 380 applications. This represents 80% of the 476 applications submitted and involves a financial commitment by the Executive of £18 million. No funding is being provided for stand-alone capital items or for hedgerow management.

School Transport

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues on the maximum distance primary schoolchildren should travel from home to school each day.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has issued no guidance on maximum distances for home to school travel. Under provisions in the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, education authorities provide free school transport for pupils attending their designated school where that school is beyond a certain distance from home.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it next plans to meet representatives of the Scottish School Board Association.

Nicol Stephen: The then Minister for Education, Mr Jack McConnell, met with representatives of the Scottish School Board Association (SSBA) on 4 July 2001. He requested that officials should hold a follow-up meeting, which took place on 5 December 2001. I met Ann Hill, Chief Executive of the SSBA, at the launch of the Discipline Task Group action plan on 12 December 2001. There are no formal plans for a further meeting, but ministers and officials meet representatives of the SSBA regularly.

Schools

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it uses in assessing requests from local authorities for additional funding to prevent the closure of rural schools.

Nicol Stephen: Funding for local authorities is not provided on this basis. Local authorities are responsible for funding the schools in their areas from the general resources available to them and determine their own priorities.

Schools

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation it has carried out of the educational standards in, and classroom environment of, primary schools with (a) one teacher and (b) two teachers.

Nicol Stephen: We have not carried out such an evaluation. A sample of one and two teacher schools are included each year in the annual inspection programme carried out by HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE). HMIE publishes a report on every school inspection, which includes an evaluation of the standard of attainment and accommodation in the school.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have registered for a pay out from the Transport Operative Pension Scheme.

Lewis Macdonald: A pro-forma issued by the Scottish Executive has been completed by some 4,000 potential beneficiaries. It was issued to confirm basic details such as current addresses and not to register a claim.

  The Executive will publicise the details of distribution arrangements to identify potential beneficiaries and, following verification of pension records, we will write to each individual with details of proposed payments.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17736 by Sarah Boyack on 24 October 2001, whether it can now specify a date on which payments to members of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes are likely to commence; how much is likely to be paid, and whether the number of years’ service will be taken into account when calculating the amounts payable.

Lewis Macdonald: No. The Scottish Executive's timetable for the payment process to begin is dependent upon the formal wind-up of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes by the trustees.

  It is expected that payments will reflect levels of benefit entitlements reflecting individuals contributions and years of service. The Scottish Executive believe that this will be a fair and reasonable basis for distribution.

Shipbuilding

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the Clyde Shipyards Task Force will be published.

Ms Wendy Alexander: We are currently finalising the Clyde Shipyards Task Force report following the group’s last meeting, and will send it to the printers before Christmas with a view to publishing it in January.

Single European Currency

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the First Minister what work has been undertaken to assess the social and economic implications for Scotland of the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2002.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive has carried out two annual surveys on Euro Use by Businesses in Scotland . These reports are available on the Executive website.

Social Inclusion

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, for each year since 1997, (a) how much funding was granted (i) in total to social inclusion partnerships in Edinburgh and (ii) to each such partnership, (b) how many private companies were formed using such funding, (c) how many private companies formed using such funding have gone into insolvent liquidation, what the names of any such companies were and with which social inclusion partnership each was associated and (d) what monitoring took place of any such companies and what action was taken subsequent to insolvent liquidation.

Ms Margaret Curran: Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIP) were launched in 1999, and there are five in Edinburgh. South Edinburgh and Edinburgh Youth SIP were newly designated in April 1999. North Edinburgh was previously a Priority Partnership Area designated as a SIP in April 1999. Edinburgh Strategic Programme was previously a Regeneration Programme and was designated as a SIP in April 1999. Craigmillar was previously a Priority Partnership Area and was designated as a SIP in April 2000.

  SIP Fund allocations to each of the SIPs in the financial years 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 are as follows:

  


Social Inclusion Partnership 
  

1999-2000
(£000)
Allocation 
  

2000-01
(£000)
Allocation 
  

2001-02
(£000)
Allocation 
  



North Edinburgh 
  

2,877 
  

2,590 
  

2,551 
  



Craigmillar 
  

 - 
  

1,755 
  

1,916 
  



Strategic Programme 
  

1,178 
  

550 
  

589 
  



South Edinburgh 
  

740 
  

990 
  

1,229 
  



Edinburgh Youth 
  

205 
  

567 
  

634 
  



Total 
  

5,000 
  

6,452 
  

6,919 
  



  Responsibility for day to day oversight of the deployment of these funds falls to the grant recipient for Edinburgh SIPs, the City of Edinburgh Council. They advise us that no private companies were formed using SIP funds, and it therefore follows that no such companies have gone into liquidation.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to monitor the outcome of the campaign by VisitScotland to promote shopping holidays in Edinburgh and Glasgow; whether any such monitoring will include an analysis of the income generated by the promotion, including any increase in the tax revenue to Her Majesty’s Treasury, and whether it will seek any additional payments from Her Majesty’s Government in respect of tourism as a result.

Mike Watson: Responsibility for devising, delivering and assessing marketing campaigns is an operational matter for VisitScotland. I look forward to receiving VisitScotland’s assessment of this new and innovative campaign.

Transport

Elaine Thomson (Aberdeen North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is undertaking to reduce traffic congestion in Aberdeen.

Lewis Macdonald: NESTRANS, the regional transport partnership, has developed its "Modern Transport System" a strategy which involves measures to help ease traffic flow in and around the city and to provide a better system of public transport. One such measure is the new Park & Ride service from Kingswells, which opened in September, and is now used by around 2,500 people every week. The Scottish Executive will work with the partnership and its constituent local authorities to identify the other measures necessary to deliver the road traffic reduction targets outlined in their transport strategies.

Waste Management

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what preparations have been made for the introduction of EC Regulation 2037/2000 concerning the recycling of refrigerators and freezers.

Ross Finnie: The new requirement that ozone-depleting substances in the foam insulation of fridges have to be recovered during disposal is proving a complicated problem for the UK and other EC countries. The Executive has been working closely with other Government Departments to prepare technical standards for both storage and treatment of fridges. We are now working with local authorities to assess the costs involved. Last week I announced that I would make additional funding available to authorities for this financial year to assist with the cost of storage.

Waste Management

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19778 by Rhona Brankin on 21 November 2001, in light of the announcement made by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that £6 million will be allocated to English local authorities to help with the storage of old refrigerators and freezers, when it will make an announcement regarding additional funding to Scottish local authorities.

Ross Finnie: My reply to question S1O-4233 on 6 December 2001, confirmed that the Executive will provide additional funding to Scottish local authorities for the remainder of this financial year and that I would announce the allocations once firmer costs had been identified. That is still the position, but I hope to have more information shortly.

Waste Management

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what inquiries it has made regarding how much it will cost local authorities to store domestic refrigerators and freezers following the introduction of EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Ross Finnie: I confirmed on 6 December in response to question S1O-4233 on 6 December 2001, that financial assistance would be available for local authorities. With a view to ensuring that our estimates of their needs are as accurate as possible we wrote to them on the same day asking them for feedback on the prices they have been quoted. We are also taking cognisance of prices being quoted by the waste management industry.